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12:00 PM
VILLANOVA vs. PITTSBURGH
Villanova is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Villanova's last 8 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Villanova
Pittsburgh is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home

12:00 PM
MANHATTAN vs. LOYOLA
Manhattan is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Manhattan's last 6 games on the road
Loyola is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Manhattan
Loyola is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

1:00 PM
PURDUE vs. WISCONSIN
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Purdue's last 6 games on the road
Purdue is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Wisconsin
Wisconsin is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wisconsin's last 7 games

2:00 PM
DEPAUL vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of DePaul's last 5 games on the road
DePaul is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of South Florida's last 6 games
South Florida is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games

2:00 PM
SIENA vs. IONA
Siena is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Siena's last 7 games when playing on the road against Iona
Iona is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Iona is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Siena

2:00 PM
FAIRFIELD vs. MARIST
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Fairfield's last 6 games when playing on the road against Marist
Fairfield is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Marist's last 7 games when playing Fairfield
Marist is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Fairfield

2:00 PM
FLORIDA STATE vs. NORTH CAROLINA
Florida State is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against North Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida State's last 6 games when playing on the road against North Carolina
North Carolina is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Florida State
North Carolina is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Florida State

3:30 PM
WASHINGTON STATE vs. WASHINGTON
Washington State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington State is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games when playing Washington State

4:00 PM
MICHIGAN STATE vs. MICHIGAN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Michigan State's last 7 games when playing on the road against Michigan
Michigan State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Michigan
Michigan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Michigan's last 7 games when playing at home against Michigan State

4:00 PM
VIRGINIA vs. BOSTON COLLEGE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Virginia's last 5 games on the road
Virginia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Boston College is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston College's last 6 games at home

5:00 PM
UTAH vs. STANFORD
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
Utah is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Stanford is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Stanford's last 7 games at home

6:00 PM
NORTH CAROLINA STATE vs. GEORGIA TECH
North Carolina State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Georgia Tech
North Carolina State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Georgia Tech's last 9 games when playing North Carolina State
Georgia Tech is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing North Carolina State

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

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Michigan State at Michigan: What bettors need to know
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Michigan State Spartans at Michigan Wolverines (-4, 132.5)

Michigan’s Big Ten title hopes probably ended after blowing a 15-point lead in the second half and losing at last-place Penn State on Wednesday. The fourth-ranked Wolverines should be an angry, focused group when they return home to face rival Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. Michigan can still be a major factor in the conference and NCAA tournaments, but must find answers after losing four of its last seven. The Wolverines are certainly comfortable at home where they are 16-0 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten. However, they were hammered at Michigan State 75-52 on Feb. 12.

The 10th-ranked Spartans also need to restart, coming off consecutive losses to Indiana and Ohio State. Michigan State, which outrebounded Michigan 39-27 in the first meeting, is 5-3 on the road in conference play and stands one game behind Indiana in the Big Ten going into the weekend.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, CBS.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (22-6, 11-4 Big Ten): One of the reasons the Spartans could not get over the hump in close games against the Buckeyes and Hoosiers was leading scorer Keith Appling’s sudden shooting slump. The junior guard was 2-of-14 from the field and 0-of-6 from 3-point range the last two contests, dropping his scoring average to 13.4 -- slightly ahead of freshman guard Gary Harris (13.2). Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix have done a solid job inside, both averaging more than 12 points the last five games. Payne, Nix and Branden Dawson (10.4 points) all shoot over 50 percent from the field.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (23-5, 10-5): The Wolverines might have needed the slap in the face from Penn State to get back to basics and finish strong. After facing the Spartans, Michigan plays at Purdue and hosts Indiana to end the regular season. Player of the year candidate Trey Burke hasn’t slowed down, shooting 49.6 percent from the field. Burke is second in the Big Ten in scoring (18.8) and first in assists (6.9). Tim Hardaway Jr., averaging 15.2 points, will have to be better than the 1-of-11 shooting performance at Michigan State. The Wolverines can also play better defense. They stand ninth in field-goal percentage defense in Big Ten games.

TRENDS:

* Wolverines are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 7-1 in the last eight meetings.
* Under is 7-1 in Wolverines’ last eight vs. a team with a winning record.

TIP-INS:

1. The Spartans are third in the Big Ten in scoring defense and Michigan is second in offense.

2. Michigan F/C Jordan Morgan scored 11 points against Penn State, his first time in double figures since Jan. 3.

3. The Wolverines lead the all-time series 94-76, but Michigan State has won 20 of the last 26 meetings.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Michigan State at Michigan
The Spartans look to take advantage of a Michigan team that is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games against Big Ten opponents. Michigan State is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Spartans favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Michigan State (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

As usual, we break down the projected matchups by each region, beginning with the sub-regionals, which this year will begin on Thursday, Mar. 21. The term "protected seed" refers to seeds 1 thru 4 in any region, with those seeds usually accompanied by a geographically-convenient sub-regional assignment.

1 Duke (SUR 25-4, RPI-1, SOS-2) vs. 16 Robert Morris (22-9, 113-169)...Even before F Ryan Kelly returned to the Duke fold with a bang (and how...36 points!) last weekend vs. the Miami Hurricanes, we had the Blue Devils on the top line. Now, with Kelly back and apparently in top form, don't be surprised if the Blue Devils ride into the Dance as the overall No. 1 seed, especially if they win the ACC Tourney. Meanwhile, the home team of the Pittsburgh Airport, Robert Morris, qualified to host this week's Northeast Tourney when beating Bryant in a 77-75 thriller at Coraopolis last Thursday. The Smithfield, RI-based Bulldogs, however, might like their chances in a rubber match vs. the Colonials. Games involving top contenders Robert Morris, Bryant, Wagner, Long Island, and Quinnipiac were almost all closely contested this season. The Colonials, however, are the only entry in that lot that might avoid a 16 vs. 16 play-in game.

8 Creighton (24-7, 37-79) vs. 9 San Diego State (20-8, 33-26)...After briefly worrying about their at-large prospects last week, the Creighton Bluejays finished the regular season on an upbeat note with a pair of wins, including a home thumping of Wichita State in the battle for top seed at this week's Arch Madness in St. Louis, so Greg McDermott's side is now surely on safe ground entering the conference tourney. Steve Fisher's SDSU has been mostly treading water for the last month while it loses contact with the Mountain West leaders; if the Aztecs are lucky, they would land a 10 or 11 seed, but we think they look awfully likely to be sentenced to one of the dreaded 8-9 games in the sub-regionals instead.

At Kansas City...

4 Kansas State (24-5, 19-52) vs. 13 Davidson (23-7, 75-107)...How about an all-Wildcat battle? Welcome into protected seed territory for K-State, which passed another test in the top-heavy Big 12 by winning at Baylor last Saturday on Rodney McGruder's clutch three-pointer at the buzzer (after a wild final-second sequence). Bruce Weber's Wildcats have won five straight and are tied for the lead atop the loop with Kansas, although to keep a protected seed, KSU might have to beat Oklahoma State in the reg.-season finale this weekend (or, of course, win the Big 12 Tourney). The SoCon Tourney will begin later this week in the Blue Ridge hub of Asheville, with Bob McKillop's Davidson the top seed after closing the regular season with 14 straight wins. Note that the only league rep to beat the Wildcats in conference play was Georgia Southern, which paid dearly for that transgression last weekend when on the wrong end of an 83-48 revenge beating administered by Davidson. Matt Matheny's Fighting Phoenix of Elon and Doug Wojcik's College of Charleston Cougars look to be Davidson's main competition in Asheville.

5 Ohio State (21-7, 20-20) vs. 12 La Salle (20-7, 45-89)...We haven't knocked OSU down from a 4 to a 5 seed because of their nervous win last week at Northwestern. Rather, we're speculating just a bit because we think the Buckeyes will lose at least once this week to either Indiana or Illinois, which, short of a run to the Big Ten title game, would likely move OSU from a protected seed and a chance at the Dayton sub-regional, only 70 or so miles from Columbus. We'll let Thad Matta's team prove us wrong. Meanwhile, John Giannini's La Salle has avoided most of the banana peels in this year's A-10 and should be in good shape for the Explorers' first trip to the Dance in 21 years, even if losing in this Saturday's regular-season finale at hot Saint Louis.

At Dayton...

2 Georgetown (23-4, 10-3) vs. 15 Stony Brook (22-6, 83-266)...We weren't even including Georgetown as a protected seed until recent projections; now, if the dominoes fall right over the next two weeks, the Hoyas could enter the Dance as a number one regional seed. We also weren't thinking about JT III and Otto Porter as coach of the year and Wooden Award candidates, respectively, until a few weeks ago, either; a lot can change in a short period of time during this particular college hoops season. As for Stony Brook, it has clinched the top seed in this week's America East Tourney in Albany. The Seawolves, winners of 10 of their last 11, will likely have to fend off entries such as Vermont, Boston U, Hartford (the last team to beat Stony, on Feb. 10) and the host Great Danes from Albany before qualifying for their first-ever Big Dance invite.

7 Cal (20-9, 42-34) vs. 10 Cincinnati (20-9, 49-32)...If the regular season extended into April, red-hot Cal might qualify for a protected seed; Mike Montgomery's Golden Bears are now the hottest team in the Pac-12 with seven straight wins, including successes vs. all of the loop's top contenders, and can expect to be wearing their home white unis (or, if the mood strikes, their fancy goldenrod alternate outfits) at the outset of the sub-regionals. We don't know if Cincinnati was in trouble of dropping out of the field entirely if it lost last Saturday vs. UConn, but there's no question it was a welcome win for the Bearcats, who had been sliding the wrong way the past month. Oldtimers might recall this as a rematch of Final Four games in 1959 & '60, when Cal teams coached by Pete Newell beat George Smith's Cincy teams, featuring Oscar Robertson, two straight years in national semifinal matchups.

At Austin...

3 Florida (23-5, 10-23) vs. 14 Princeton (16-9, 115-143)...Big doings last weekend in the Ivy League. Not only did Princeton avenge an earlier loss to Harvard by winning the return match at Jadwin Gym on Friday, but the Crimson's subsequent stumble on Saturday at Penn puts the Tigers temporarily back in control at the top of the loop. Princeton, however, has three tricky road dates remaining on the schedule; win out and Mitch Henderson's squad qualifies for the Dance. But also remember that a flat-footed tie at the end of the regular season would necessitate the second one-game Ivy playoff in the last three seasons between the Tigers and Harvard. Stay tuned. As for Florida, we think the Gators probably gave up any hope of a top regional seed when losing in midweek at Tennessee. With the SEC profile a bit down this season, the Gators probably do no better than a three seed on Selection Sunday.

6 Saint Louis (23-5, 26-28) vs. 11 Virginia (20-9, 57-112)/Villanova (18-12/55-37)...Saint Louis wasn't even a sure thing to make the Dance a few weeks ago; now the Billikens have an outside shot at a protected seed if they keep winning through the upcoming A-10 Tourney at Barclays Center in Brooklyn after the event was played in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall the past several years. And Jim Crews is generating a lot of support as a potential national Coach of the Year (we second the nomination). Bad losses within the last week from both Virginia (at Boston College) and Villanova (at Seton Hall) have those two straddling the cut line, though in the Cavs' case a Thursday win over Duke was a huge plus. The 'Hoos have been trying to overcome an RPI that was badly damaged by early losses to Colonial foes George Mason, Delaware, and Old Dominion, and while we think they're in the field at the moment, Tony Bennett's side has little margin for error. The regular-season finale vs. Maryland could have huge implications. 'Nova also likely barely remains in safe territory after two straight losses, and could really use another marquee win over Georgetown in its reg.-season finale on Wednesday to feel more comfy about a call on Selection Sunday. Sunday's extremely bitter OT loss at Pitt could have been another big chip for Jay Wright to cash on Selection Sunday.

SOUTH REGIONAL (Arlington, TX)

At Dayton...

1 Indiana (25-4, 7-18) vs. 16 Mercer (21-10, 131-272)/Norfolk State (19-10, 172-328)...Now alone and a game-and-a-half clear atop the Big Ten, Indiana has the look of a number one regional seed, even after last week's loss at Minnesota. Although there is still time to slip down a notch or two with games vs. Ohio State and at Michigan to close the regular season in the next week before the Big Ten Tourney. Whatever, a sub-regional assignment to Dayton, an easy drive for most Hoosier fans, looks very likely. Mercer's chance of escaping a 16 vs. 16 play-in game took a knock when losing last week at Florida Gulf Coast, which could also serve as a warning shot from the Eagles (who conquered Miami-Fla. early in the season) before this week's Atlantic Sun Tourney, which the Bears will host in Macon. We're positive the MEAC Tourney champ is involved in one of the 16 vs. 16 games; right now the clear favorite looks to be the Spartans from Norfolk State, last year's Big Dance Cinderella and undefeated in conference play and with 13 wins in a row heading into Monday night's game vs. the Rattlers from Florida A&M.

8 Oregon (23-6, 50-104) vs. 9 Colorado State (22-7, 17-25)...Oregon was in the discussion for a protected seed not long ago, but that was before the foot injury suffered by star frosh G Dominic Artis, who returned to active duty in limited minutes last Saturday vs. Oregon State. Perhaps we have seeded the Ducks a bit low, especially since they are currently tied with UCLA atop the Pac-12, but the RPI and SOS do not cry injustice for a middling seed. A loss this week at Colorado (which is very possible) and failure to win the Pac-12 Tourney probably puts the Ducks in 7-9 seed range. CSU's bid is safe, but the Rams have been slipping a bit since they cracked the national rankings for the first time in 59 years a few weeks ago. Three losses in their last four games have conceded the reg.-season Mountain West crown to New Mexico, and Larry Eustachy's team is now in real danger of getting stuck in an 8-9 game.

At Austin....

4 Oklahoma State (22-6, 22-55) vs. 13 Akron (23-5, 46-138)...A mid-major result that got little notice nationally last weekend, but was potentially significant in regard to Selection Sunday, involved Akron losing at Buffalo, 81-67. That result not only ended the Zips' nation's best 19-game win streak, but also put a dent in a possible at-large case if needed should Keith Dambrot's team lose in the MAC Tourney at Cleveland next week. Meanwhile, note the growing chorus of support for OSU, which is now a chic projection to make the Final Four among select college hoops aficionados. This would be a rematch of a November game at the Puerto Rico Tipoff (the Cowboys a 69-65 winner) that was a much-more compelling matchup than anyone realized at the time.

5 Pittsburgh (22-7, 44-56) vs. 12 Middle Tennessee (27-4, 24-127)...Pitt remains in the frame for a possible protected seed after Sunday's narrow OT escape vs. Villanova. What might eventually hold the Panthers back is a paucity of quality non-conference wins, although a deep run in the Big East Tourney could overcome that factor. As an aside, Pitt fans are forewarned to be very concerned about rumors that HC Jamie Dixon is going to be courted seriously by Southern Cal for the Trojans' job once the regular season is complete. Dixon, a California native, is reportedly tops on Troy's target list. Another possible interesting Selection Sunday dilemma could arise if MTSU should blow the upcoming Sun Belt Tourney, as it did a year ago. This time, however, Kermit Davis' Blue Raiders would seem to have a stronger at-large case if needed. No matter, expect countless bubble teams to be big MTSU fans when the Sun Belt festivities commence next week at Hot Springs.

At Lexington...

2 Miami-Florida (23-5, 3-4) vs. 15 Niagara (18-12, 122-151)...For Miami, the temporary consequence of losing at Duke on Saturday is probable relinquishment of a top regional seed, even though the Canes are still likely to win the ACC regular-season crown. Miami now has more the look of a 2 seed unless Jim Larranaga's bunch can win the conference tourney in enemy territory at Greensboro. The Metro-Atlantic Tournament begins this week in Springfield, MA, and your guess is as good as any who might emerge from what appears to be the nation's most wide-open tourney. Joe Mihalich's Niagara, featuring prolific-scoring G Antoine Mason, enters as the top seed, so it gets a provisional nod for the moment, although we wouldn't be surprised if any from among seven entries ended up as the winner. Having said that, we would watch out for Canisius, Iona, and last year's winner of this event, Dancin' Jimmy Patsos' Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds.

7 Missouri (21-8, 35-53) vs. 10 Memphis (25-4, 18-70)...After a midweek non-league loss at Xavier, we've re-evaluated our position on Memphis, which we seeded as high as a 5 in our last update. But considering the Tigers' lack of quality wins, and the credibility issues regarding this year's Conference USA, that loss vs. the Musketeers likely has huge seeding consequences for Josh Pastner's team. Though (contrary to some bracketologists) we highly doubt Memphis is in a position to land on the wrong side of the cut line should it lose in the upcoming conference tourney in Tulsa, we suspect the Tigers have a good chance of wearing the road unis in the sub-regionals. Mizzou has made a fortress of its home court in Columbia and should be safely into the field of 68 after Saturday's win vs. pesky LSU. Missouri's body of work compares very favorably with a mass of other SEC contenders level or almost level in the standings but with lesser cases to make to the Selection Committee.

At Salt Lake City...

3 Marquette (21-7, 11-8) vs. 14 Bucknell (25-5, 14)...As the Big East race begins to resemble the old Demolition Derby from the Islip Speedway that used to be described so enthusiastically by Jim McKay on ABC's Wide World of Sports, Marquette finds itself as one of the last cars still running, tied for second place in the loop with Louisville (and behind only Georgetown) entering this last regular-season week before the Big East changes forever next season. And likely favored in the last two regular-season games at Rutgers and St. John's, the Golden Eagles appear to be a very good bet to earn a protected seed. The Patriot League Tourney begins later this week, with the alma mater of CBS head honcho Les Moonves, Bucknell, owning homecourt edge as long as it stays alive in the event. All eyes, however, are on second-seed Lehigh, which won the league tourney last year (and beat Duke in the sub-regionals) but has been without star G C.J. McCollum (23.9 ppg) since early January due to a broken foot. McCollum tossed the crutches away in late February, but his rehab would have to be fast-forwarded for him to be on the court for the Mountain Hawks in the Patriot Tourney that extends to March 13. If the Bison qualify instead, keep an eye on 6-11 C Mike Muscala, one of the potential breakout players in March.

6 Wisconsin (20-9, 26-17) vs. 11 Temple (21-8, 41-48)...We had been toying with the idea of granting Wisconsin a protected seed, but that was before its shocking Sunday home loss vs. Purdue. With a real logjam appearing on the 4-5-6 lines, we dock the Badgers and lower them after the result vs. the Boilermakers. And for reason, too; Bo Ryan's team likely goes into the Dance as no better than the 4th or 5th-rated Big Ten entry, so we suspect Wiscy is in the 5-6 range at the moment. Fran Dunphy's Temple exhaled a huge sigh of relief when surviving an upset bid by dangerous Detroit last week at the Liacouras Center; a loss would have been very damaging to Owl at-large hopes. Instead, we suspect Bill Cosby's alma mater will be one of five A-10 entries to the Dance, and make Fran Dunphy six-for-six in qualifying for the NCAAs since taking the Temple job in the 2007-08 season.

MIDWEST REGIONAL (Indianapolis)

At Kansas City...

1 Kansas (25-4, 4-13) vs. 16 Charleston Southern (17-11, 186-282)/ Texas Southern (17-14, 179-267)...We have always expected Kansas to be destined for the sub-regional at the Sprint Center in nearby Kansas City, where the Jayhawks have already played this season and will be on display again next week in the Big 12 Tournament. After that puzzling detour in early February when losing three straight (including an inexplicable loss at TCU), Bill Self's team has stabilized with recent OT road wins at Oklahoma State and Iowa State, and looks to be a good bet to earn a top regional seed. The Big South race has more resembled one of Vince McMahon's WWE Battle Royals, with everyone in the league seemingly landing a haymaker or two. Top seeds entering the conference tourney at Conway, SC (where Coastal Carolina is the host) are Barclay Radabaugh's Charleston Southern Buccaneers and Scott Cherry's High Point Panthers, though many in the region are warning to keep an eye on the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs, as the Boiling Springs, NC entry closed the regular season on a 7-game win streak. The new team to beat in the SWAC Tourney is Texas Southern, as the Houston-based Tigers wrested top spot in the league from Southern U by beating the Jaguars 79-66 last week, TSU's 12th win in a row. Keep in mind that the Tigers were within shouting distance of Colorado, San Diego State, and Kansas State in pre-SWAC action.

8 Illinois (21-9, 34-9) vs. 9 Butler (22-7, 22-45)...Illinois' profile is strong enough that it was probably safely into the field of 68 prior to last weekend, but just in case, avoiding that banana peel vs. Nebraska (and it wasn't easy) has probably guaranteed the Illini an invitation. Butler's ticket is punched, too, but the Bulldogs have been slipping down the seeding scale in recent weeks, with home losses to Charlotte and Saint Louis prior to last Saturday's blowout loss at VCU. Having lost contact with the top of the A-10 (now occupied by the SLU Billikens), many are suspecting that shrewd HC Brad Stevens might have been doing it with mirrors in the first half of the season at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

At Philadelphia...

4 Syracuse (22-7, 15-7) vs. 13 Valparaiso (24-7, 62-174)...Man, are we tempted to push the 'Cuse out of protected seed territory with three losses on the trot entering its midweek game vs. DePaul, which will be the Orange's last-ever Big East game at the Carrier Dome. Maybe Syracuse needs to beat Georgetown in the regular-season finale and make a nice run in the Big East Tourney to stay on the fourth line, but we believe it is all still within the reach of Jim Boeheim's team. Meanwhile, winning the regular-season crown has made Valparaiso the host team in the Horizon Tourney, where another title game vs. Ray McCallum's Detroit (as was the case last year when the Titans romped) appears to be in the offing before Bryce Drew's squad qualifies for the Dance.

5 Arizona (23-6, 13-28) vs. 12 Boise State (20-8, 43-63)...There, we've done it, knocking Arizona out of protected seed status after it lost a pair of Pac-12 road games in the L.A. area last week (including a bad loss at Southern Cal and second loss of the season vs. UCLA). The Wildcats enter the last week of the regular season in fourth place in the Pac-12, having lost 4 of their last 7, and might need a deep run in the conference tourney next week in Las Vegas to climb back to the fourth line. We also welcome Boise State to the lineup for the first time since early in our projection process. The Broncos have been helped by the solid conference RPI of the Mountain West, which has been jockeying with the Big Ten for top league spot all season. Last week's win over Colorado State was the deposit on an at-large slot; victories this week over either UNLV or San Diego State should move the Broncos further to the safe side of the cut line. Non-conference wins at Creighton and to a lesser extent vs. LSU, and a close road loss at Michigan State, are not hurting the Boise profile, either.

At Auburn Hills...

2 Michigan (24-5, 12-44) vs. 15 Montana (20-6, 100-270)...Though last week's hard-to-fathom loss at Penn State ranks alongside Kansas' defeat at TCU as the most startling upset of the season, John Beilein's Michigan recovered in time to beat Michigan State in a Sunday showdown to keep itself in the mix for a slot on the second (or perhaps even the first) line come Selection Sunday. Yet the Wolverines, only 4-4 in their last eight games, might still have to beat both Purdue and Indiana this week to stay at a number two. Montana is still most likely to be the host team for next week's Big Sky Tourney, but even if the event is held in Missoula, we're not sure the Grizzlies will even be favored, if star performers Will Cherry and Mathias Ward are hurting. In which case don't be surprised if hot Weber State (winner of nine straight entering home games vs. Portland State on Thursday, and Eastern Washington on Saturday) steals the bid from the Grizzlies.

7 North Carolina (22-7, 46-72) vs. 10 Saint Mary's (26-5, 38-113)...There's no more reason to worry about North Carolina making the Dance after five straight wins and a renewed bounce in the Tar Heels' step after Roy Williams' switch to a 4-G lineup a few weeks ago. Now Carolina is likely to be wearing its home white in the first sub-regional game, and some are beginning to wonder if Roy might be doing one of his best-ever coaching jobs after losing almost the entirety of last year's starting lineup to the NBA. Saint Mary's deftly avoided a banana peel on Saturday night vs. Santa Clara and should have no bubble concerns heading into the WCC Tourney that begins later this week at the Orleans Hotel Arena in Las Vegas.

At San Jose...

3 New Mexico (25-4, 2-3) vs. 14 South Dakota State (22-9, 72-176)...You're darned right New Mexico deserves a protected seed, pulling away to a clear regular-season title in what has been alternately (with the Big Ten) the nation's top-rated RPI league, the Mountain West, for the entire season. Heck, the Lobos' RPI (2) and SOS (3) suggests we might be short-changing them for a three seed. But expect a sub-regional assignment in either San Jose or Salt Lake City for Steve Alford's bunch. We know this would be another rematch of a regular-season game in which SDSU dealt the Lobos one of their four defeats after an arduous 1200-mile bus ride from Nashville (Belmont) to Albuquerque in December, dodging blizzards (which made air travel impractical) en route. First, the Jackrabbits must dispose of the regular-season Summit co-champ Western Illinois Leathernecks (who lost twice to SDSU) and dangerous North Dakota State (now with star G Taylor Braun back in action after injury) and others in the conference tourney at Sioux Falls, SD.

6 Notre Dame (22-7, 46-72) vs. 11 Belmont (24-6, 23-38)...Notre Dame has been hovering at the periphery of protected-seed territory all season, but it is getting crowded for those coveted spots, and last Saturday's loss at Marquette suggests the Fighting Irish are more likely in the 5-6 range as Selection Sunday approaches. As for Rick Byrd's Belmont, its solid RPI (23) and SOS (38) numbers suggest it might deserve better than an 11 seed, although we can never quite predict how the Selection Committee values mid-major success. In the Bruins' case, it might also mean they could get serious at-large consideration should they lose in this week's OVC Tourney, conducted at the old Municipal Auditorium across town from campus in Nashville. Although expected top challenger Murray State inexplicably flopped as a heavy favorite in two home games vs. UT-(Dean) Martin and SE Missouri State, neither an OVC contender, last week.

WEST REGIONAL (Phoenix)

at San Jose...

1 Gonzaga (29-2, 9-70) vs. 16 Northeastern (19-11, 159-208)...With Gonzaga having ascended to the top of the national rankings (not that it has meant a hoot this season) and being heavily favored for this week's WCC Tourney in Las Vegas, we fully expect the Zags to be the number one seed in the West. San Jose appears the most-likely sub-regional destination. The Colonial Tourney begins in Richmond later this week, but there were troubling developments last weekend as top seed Northeastern was dumped by lowly Old Dominion, the Huskies' third loss in five games that also included another puzzling setback vs. downtrodden UNC-Wilmington. Bad, bad losses both. The Colonial winner is now in real danger of falling into one of the 16 vs. 16 play-in games; should Bill Coen's Northeastern win the conference tourney, it probably stays at a non-play-in 16 seed, but any other CAA team that might win in Richmond is at risk of being placed in the "First Four" games at Dayton.

8 Virginia Commonwealth (23-6, 31-34) vs. 9 Oklahoma (19-9, 22-6)...We had been seeding VCU much higher for most of this season, and Saturday's dominating romp past Butler might advance the Rams' case for something better than an 8 on Selection Sunday. But once Shaka Smart's team dropped out of the lead in the A-10, we saw no compelling reason to keep them it protected seed territory. Meanwhile, it didn't take long for Lon Kruger to get Oklahoma back to the Dance, which hasn't happened since Blake Griffin's days in 2009. The Sooners, however, look a lot like many of Kruger's many past Big Dance entries that didn't escape the first weekend, good enough to perhaps win a game, as a likely 8 or 9 seed doesn't suggest a deep run for OU. This will, however, be Lon's record fifth appearance with a different school (Kansas State, Florida, Illinois, UNLV, and now the Sooners) in the Dance.

At Salt Lake City...

4 UNLV (22-7, 14-19) vs. 13 La Tech (26-3, 48-205)...We were wondering if UNLV might drop as low as a 10 or 11 seed a few weeks ago. Now, however, with a real chance to end the regular season on a 9-game win streak (especially with the Mountain West Tourney on its home court at the Thomas & Mack Center), and the Mountain's conference RPI being so strong, Dave Rice's Runnin' Rebels are positioned to climb into a protected seed assignment to either Salt Lake or San Jose. Where the opponent could be pesky La Tech, which has stayed unbeaten in the better-than-advertised WAC and might have an outside shot at an at-large bid should it lose in the conference tourney next week in Las Vegas (although its poor SOS numbers suggest that could be a tough sell). What they're really worried about in Ruston is that Ole Miss' recent collapse could cost HC Andy Kennedy his job and prompt a call to Bulldog HC Michael White, a former Rebel and destined for the brighter lights of a major conference very soon.

5 UCLA (22-7, 32-27) vs. 12 Maryland (20-9. 70-113/Tennessee (17-11, 56-36)...With all due respect to ESPN's Jay Bilas, whose games we reffed while he was a prep at Rolling Hills, CA High and whose opinion we usually concur, we were surprised he listed Arizona as a more dangerous threat in the Big Dance than UCLA while broadcasting last Saturday's Bruins-Wildcats game at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins have looked downright scary on some occasions in recent weeks, as Ben Howland has finally convinced his many star frosh (such as Shabazz Muhammad, Jordan Adams, and Kyle Anderson) to play defense and rebound, while sr. North Carolina transfer PG Larry Drew II lends stability to the operation. Look out for these guys later this month. We had Tennessee pegged as a regular at-large entry after the Vols beat Florida for their sixth straight win last Tuesday, but a Saturday loss at Georgia (which has been playing much better lately) has forced us to put Cuonzo Martin's Vols into one of the at-large play-in games (as we have done with a similar profile Virginia after its Sunday loss at BC). We admit that Maryland is our last team in the field and a very provisional vote; the Terps are still going to have to play their way into the Dance with difficult tests vs. North Carolina and at Virginia prior to the ACC Tourney.

At Lexington...

2 Louisville (24-5, 5-12) vs. 15 Long Beach State (17-11, 120-145)...While preparing for the odd sight of Louisville wearing its home whites and being well-supported in normally hostile territory at Lexington's Rupp Arena in the sub-regionals, Saturday's win at Syracuse reminded all that Rick Pitino's Cards are once again rounding into form in time for March Madness, with a rugged frontline led by ultra-physical 6-11 Senegalese C Gorgui Dieng able to compensate for some of the maddening inconsistencies of Gs Peyton Siva & Russ Smith. But when Siva & Smith are blowing hot at the same time, look out! Big West leader Long Beach State is hardly going to be a convincing favorite in the conference tourney next week at the Anaheim Honda Center, especially after its Saturday loss down the 405 Freeway at UC Irvine. The Beach and any winner of the Big West Tourney could easily be slotted into one of the 16 seeds, or perhaps even one of the 16 vs. 16 play-in games at Dayton.

7 Minnesota (20-9, 15-1) vs. 10 Colorado (19-9, 29-21)...After wobbling to the point where they had slipped into severe bubble trouble with 8 losses in 11 games, the Gophers bounced back big last week with a huge home win over then-No. 1 Indiana and romp past Penn State to suddenly shore up any weaknesses in their Big Dance profile. Now at 20 wins and with the nation's best SOS, Minnesota has moved safely away from the cut line. Colorado's sub-30 RPI and SOS will also be enough to qualify the Buffs for the field of 68, but their seeding status has been falling with so many split weekends (like the last one in the Bay Area) during the Pac-12 campaign.

At Auburn Hills....

3 Michigan State (22-7, 8-15) vs. 14 Stephen F. Austin (24-3, 64-301)...Recent losses to Indiana and Ohio State and Sunday's bitter setback at Michigan have probably ended any discussion about Michigan State qualifying for a number one seed. But a three spot should still be good enough to give Tom Izzo's team a preferred sub-regional assignment to nearby Auburn Hills, also Michigan's likely destination, thus setting up some delicious crowd dynamics as fans of the Spartans and Wolverines surely offer throaty support for foes of the other. Which means a lot of fans at The Palace could be yelling for dangerous SFA if the Nacogdoches, TX-based Lumberjacks survive the upcoming Southland Tourney, where the likes of Northwestern State (beaten by just 1 point last weekend vs. the Lumberjacks) and Oral Roberts might pose problems in the conference tourney next week at Katy. With the nation's leading scoring defense at 50.1 ppg, SFA is one longshot entry that none of the big boys will be eager to face. Coached by mustachioed Danny Kaspar (who bears a striking resemblance to long-ago cartoon character Cool McCool), the Jacks have won at Lon Kruger's Oklahoma and recently at Big West leader Long Beach State in the BracketBusters.

6 NC State (21-8, 30-24) vs. 11 Wichita State (24-7, 40-93)...Another team nobody wants to see in March is NC State, which got hot right about this point of the campaign last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 and has looked the part again in recent weeks with wins in five of its last six. Mark Gottfried can silence a lot of his critics with another deep run in the Dance. As for Wichita, we don't think it fell out of the field with its two losses last week, including relinquishing the Missouri Valley reg.-season title to Creighton, but its seed slot probably dropped. Maybe to its advantage, as the Shockers were looking like an 8-9 game candidate, and now might get a break in the 10-11 range. By the way, there will be a lot of Wichita and Creighton fans around the country in this week's Arch Madness at St. Louis, as any number of other dangerous Valley entries (Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Illinois State) are capable of an upset and thus squeezing the edge of the bubble a bit tighter, as the Valley would become a 3-bid league.

Last four in: Maryland, Tennessee, Villanova, Virginia.

Last four out: Iowa State, Kentucky, Baylor, Arizona State.

Next four out: Alabama, Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Iowa

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

For the first time in school history, Gonzaga is the nation’s No.1 team in this week’s AP Top 25 Rankings. This is a testament to the consistency of this program over the last 14 years under Mark Few.

Before Chris Petersen and the Boise State Broncos became a major factor nationally in college football, there was Gonzaga in college hoops. The Bulldogs became the model ‘mid-major program’ back in 1999.

As a No. 10 seed in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga’s magical run to the Elite Eight began with a 75-63 win over Minnesota. The Gophers were so impressed that they snagged former head coach Dan Monson away from the Spokane school a month later.

In the second round, Gonzaga knocked off Stanford 82-74 to advance to the Sweet 16 in Phoenix to face Florida. In the West region semifinals, the ‘Zags’ Casey Calvary came out of nowhere (and climbed all over Brent Wright’s back) to tip in a missed shot for the go-ahead points with just a few seconds remaining.

When UF’s Eddie Shannon missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer moments later, Gonzaga moved on the region finals by winning a 73-72 decision over the Gators. For 38 minutes, the Bulldogs gave eventual champ UConn all it wanted and more, but the Huskies pulled away for a 67-62 victory.

Since then, Gonzaga hasn’t advanced past the Sweet 16. That's not meant as an indictment, though, because the Bulldogs have gone to the NCAA Tournament in all 13 seasons under Few and will make their 14th consecutive Big Dance appearance in two weeks. (15th straight actually, 14th in a row on Few’s watch.)

The plan has been the same under Few for more than a decade. Each season Gonzaga plays the country’s most attractive non-conference schedule. The Bulldogs don’t say as much out loud like Pat Hill did in football at Fresno St. for many years, but they undoubtedly have the same mantra: ‘Anybody, anytime, anywhere.’

They travel all over the country in November and December. For instance, there were neutral-site games against Clemson, Oklahoma and Davidson in Orlando this season. There were true road games at Butler, at Washington St. and at Oklahoma St.

The travel was much more brutal a decade ago. Back then, much like Petersen has hardly any chance at getting a quality non-conference opponent to come to the blue carpet in Boise, Gonzaga couldn’t get anyone to travel to the Northwest and face the Bulldogs at ‘The Kennel.’

But as Few established the program even more and the McCarthey Center, the school’s new arena, opened in 2004, elite programs became more willing to sign up for a home-and-home series.

The annual State Farm Battle at Key Arena in Seattle has also been a drawing card for big-time programs. This year Kansas St. came to the Emerald City and left with a 68-52 loss compliments of the ‘Zags. Other foes in recent years include Arizona, Illinois, UConn and Tennessee.

When John Calipari was at Memphis, the schools played each other every season. This year the Illini, in addition to West Va. and Baylor, came to the McCarthey Center.

With so many great non-conference matchups, many of which are played on national television, Gonzaga has been able to expand its recruiting reach and attract players from all over the... world. Not only does Gonzaga recruit all over the nation, but it recruits internationally as well.

In a way, it was somewhat wrong that George Mason (2006), VCU (2011) and Butler (2011 and 2012) were the mid-majors that finally broke through to make the Final Four, while Gonzaga has remained absent from the national semifinals.

Nothing against the Patriots, Rams or (Butler) Bulldogs, but it was Gonzaga that paved the way for mid-major success. It was Few that created the model of playing enough quality non-conference games to keep the RPI high enough to overcome the weakness of the WCC and get an at-large berth in the rare case of not winning the league tournament.

But patience is a virtue. You know watching Butler and VCU in the Final Four motivated Few and his troops. And a mid-major has never cut the nets down (No, UNLV in 1990 doesn’t count in my mind.), so it would only be fitting if it is the Zags to become the first to do so.

Can it happen this year? Sure it can. In this wide-open season, several mid-majors including Gonzaga, Butler, VCU and others are capable of getting to Atlanta.

With all that said, the No. 1 AP Ranking doesn’t promise Gonzaga a seed on the top line from the selection committee even if it does win the WCC Tournament. In fact, the AP Rankings are completely meaningless in college basketball because the selection committee is the only group that doles out any sort of rankings that matter.

Yes, the presence of Gonzaga atop of this week’s polls is a major accomplishment and I’m not trying to diminish it. But Mark Few, Kevin Pangos, Elias Harris, Kelly Olynyk and the ‘Zags faithful know that if they truly want to stake their names to No. 1, they have to get it done at the Ga. Dome.

Only time will tell if that happens in the coming weeks, but one thing is for certain: Gonzaga has one of the nation’s elite programs. It has been that way for more than a decade and as long as Few is in charge, it’s going to stay that way for a long time to come.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

This is not to criticize them, because they’re all good refs and with 347 D-I teams, refs get spread very thin, but no way do NBA refs work this much, and this late in the year, it has to be tough for a guy in his 50’s to do that much running. (O'Connell worked again in Louisville Monday night).

At $1,500 or so for a TV game, it makes it easier, but still…….

12) Sirmons has worked 70 games this year (this data is on statsheet.com, by the way), so if he made an average of $1,000 a game, that’s $70,000 since Veterans' Day, or basically four months’ work. He probably averages more than $1,000 a game. Its not easy, lot of travel and constant limelight, but its very good money, especially for a second job.

11) Three non-athletes who should be in Baseball Hall of Fame: Bill James, who headed the revolution on how baseball views analytics, and two doctors, Frank Jobe and James Andrews, who have kept pitchers' arms in the game for a long time now. Those three people have added a lot to the actual game and how it is played.

10) 20 years ago when I used to go out to watch NFL games on the satellite, remember saying it was worth it, just to watch Barry Sanders run with the ball, and I’m not a Lions’ fan. I feel the same way when reading an article written by Bob Ryan in Boston; he is very sensible and he presents a strong opinion based on sound logic. Just a great writer.

9) This is how a lot of coaches feel about dealing with the media: John Calipari skipped this week’s SEC teleconference because he had to go to the dentist. At least at the dentist they give you novocaine, and hopefully don’t ask you about Arkansas.

8) Gonzaga is #1 in AP poll for the first time; some writer posted on Twitter that New Mexico, and not the Zags should be a #1 seed in the NCAAs. Given the chance, if New Mexico played Gonzaga on a neutral court and the game was pick ‘em, that writer would bet on the Lobos? If that’s true, I’d like the guy’s phone number, so I could make a few bucks.

7) Monday was 20th anniversary of the Jimmy V “Don’t Give Up” speech, one of the most memorable speeches ever televised. It does not like seem like 20 years, but ESPN and especially Dick Vitale have done great work since then raising money to fight cancer. Hopefully someday soon, a brilliant researcher will find a cure for cancer. We can only hope.

6) In a not-so-shocking development, the NRA is sponsoring a NASCAR race at the Texas Motor Speedway April 13. We had a NRA rally out in front of the building I work in last Thursday; 7,000 people in a misty, cold rain, a lot of them wearing camo, many holding signs promoting the second amendment. Looked like a lot of NASCAR fans to me.

5) In August, FOX is changing Speed Channel into Fox Sports 1, which it hopes will be a challenger to ESPN as a national sports network. They are expecting to sign the new Big East to anchor their basketball coverage.

4) Chicago Blackhawks are 19-0-3, an amazing start; they've trailed four games in third period, tying one game with 0:03 left. They're 7-3 in OT/SO, 12-0 in regulation time.

3) Florida is only SEC team in AP top 25; Missouri is only other SEC team getting votes. SEC tournament in Nashville is going to be excellent.

Um, I’m not 55 yet, and won’t be for a while. Whatever…..lol If you work 225 days a year and save 55 cents every day, over the course of a year that’s $123.75. I’m saving money because I look older than I am. So be it.

1) At noon on Tuesday, Winthrop faces Radford in the first round of the Big South tournament, as March Madness officially gets underway. Should be a fun month. Charleston Southern/High Point are top top seeds there.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Spot bets are a classic handicapping practice that have proven profitable no matter what sport you’re betting. Whether it’s a team looking past this week’s opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots.

Lookahead spot

Not having North Carolina in the NCAA tournament is like not having cheese on your pizza. But there is a chance the Tar Heels could get snubbed by the selection committee after a disappointing ACC run. They have won five in a row SU and ATS and have covered the spread in seven of their last 10 heading into the final week of the schedule. But UNC lacks a big win, with a recent victory over NC State as the lone feather in its cap.

The Tar Heels have one more shot to impress in the finale versus Duke at home this weekend. However, before adding the next chapter to the Tobacco Road Rivalry, UNC must take on another bubble team in the ACC – the Maryland Terrapins. The Terps are scratching for a place in the field of 68 and are always a tough out at home, going 3-1 ATS and SU in their last four contests in College Park.

Letdown spot

The Los Angeles Lakers have pulled themselves to .500, winning 13 of their last 18 games (8-10 ATS), and can make a huge statement in the Western Conference with a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday. Los Angeles is chasing the final postseason ticket in the West and heads into Tuesday’s road test 2.5 games back of the ninth-place Houston Rockets.

Following Tuesday’s tilt, Kobe & Co. move a few steps down the intensity ladder when they visit the New Orleans Hornets Wednesday. The Hornets are second last in the conference and have just four wins in their last 10 games, heading into Monday. New Orleans did, however, give L.A. a scare in their most recent meeting, covering as an 8-point road underdog in a 111-106 loss on Jan. 29.

Schedule spot

The last time the St. Louis Blues left on an extended road trip, they came home in the hunt for a high seed in the Western Conference. The team was hoping to have the same success again, starting a five-game Western road swing Sunday, but fell 4-1 to the Dallas Stars.

The Blues, who will be living out of their suitcases for a five-game, eight-day trek, take on the reigning champion Los Angeles Kings Tuesday, visit the Phoenix Coyotes (7-4-1-0 at home) Thursday, play at San Jose Saturday, and close the trip versus the Pacific-leading Anaheim Ducks Sunday.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Old Man Winter isn’t done wreaking havoc on the travel plans of collegiate and professional sports teams just yet.

Significant snowfall will make travel dangerous Monday night and Tuesday in the Upper Midwest, especially around major cities like Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Chicago, which is expected to get its biggest snowfall of the season — as much as 10 inches by Tuesday evening.

The storm will then track east towards Maryland and could cause significant travel delays.

Here are a few teams that could have their travel plans altered because of the storm:

NBA

Utah Jazz – The Jazz are in Milwaukee Monday night and need to get to Cleveland for their next road game with the Cavs on Wednesday.

Boston Celtics – Boston is in Philadelphia Tuesday night and has to board a plane immediately for Indiana for a clash with the Pacers on Wednesday.

Ohio State at Indiana
The Buckeyes look to take advantage of an Indiana team that is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games versus teams with a winning percentage above .600. Ohio State is the pick (+8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Hoosiers favored by only 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Ohio State (+8 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

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